Bob Dowlen

bobdowlen@gmail.com

281-352-9545

President and Fund Raising Coordinator

Paul Cuneo

paulcuneo@sbcglobal.net

281-851-0422

Vice President and Pro-Am Coordinator

Paul has two children and he resides in the Champions area of Houston, Texas, where he also serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors for Bilma Public Utility District. He took up playing competitive bridge and joined the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) in 2005 achieving the rank of Bronze Life Master in 2009. He was elected to the Board of Directors for the Houston unit of ACBL in April, 2008 and currently serves as vice President.

Prior to his retirement in 2002, Paul worked for Shell Oil Company for 33 years where he held positions of increasing responsibility until reaching the level of Vice President Technology for Oil Products in 1998. While in this position he was Chairman of the American Petroleum Institute’s Technology Committee and served on the Board of Directors for the Coordinating Research Council for Auto/Oil research and was President of this organization from 1999 to 2001. In 2000, Paul became Chief Information Officer for Shell Oil Products Company and he retired from this position after successful implementation of many programs. He graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1969 with a degree in Chemical and Petroleum Refining Engineering.

Paul joined Executive Service Corps Houston (ESCH) in 2005, became chairman of the Consultant Relations Committee in 2008 and now leads the Project Coordination Team. He has been actively serving nonprofit organizations through executive coaching, business planning, strategic planning and information technology projects. He was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2008 and currently serves as Secretary.

Paul currently attends Faithbridge United Methodist Church in Spring and involved with the men’s Bible study program.

Errol LeCesne

errolbridge@att.net

281-454-7166

Secretary, Bridge in School, Education Liaison & Assistant I/N Coordinator

Errol is a professional educator with teaching credentials in four states (LA, NM, CO, & NV). He has a BA in education from Xavier University of Louisiana, MA from University of New Mexico and MA from Colorado Christian University. He developed a curriculum for teaching bridge in middle school (Bridge, the Mental Sport in Middle School, 1999) as his masters practium at Colorado Christian University. More than seventy young students directly benefited from that curriculum. Today, Errol offers Summer Bridge Camps through the Discovery College at Lone Star College, Kingwood and hopes to make Bridge an elective (interscholistic) sport in Houston area schools.

If you would like to get involved in the Bridge In Schools program, please contact Errol at 281-454-7166 or errolbridge@att.net.

Beverley Cheatham

beverley_cheatham@att.net

281-444-1300

Social Bridge Coordinator, Assistant NAP & GNT Coordinator

I've loved Bridge since my College days. While studying accounting at the University of Texas, my friends and I would gather for an hour before the evening meal to learn how to play bridge. I was hooked.

I married the student that sat next to me in freshman English and we have three daughters and six grandchildren. After retiring as Financial Officer of a public opinion research company, I found the joy of playing duplicate bridge. I have served on the Board of Bridge Club of Houston during the time the club has doubled its capacity.

One of my objectives is to attract social bridge players to duplicate where they can discover how exciting the game can be.

Chuck Ensor

cwensor@sbcglobal.net

281-474-4778

Supply Coordinator, Assistant STaC Coordinator, and Tournament Coordinator

Joyce Gore

joygore@sbcglobal.net

281-437-7467

STaC Coordinator

Jolie Hess

txjolie@aol.com

713-774-4458

Goodwill, Awards & Flyer Distribution

Kathy Hughes

lhughes39@att.net

281-437-1339

I/N Coordinator

Robert Reichek

rreichek@dyad-inc.com

713-861-6961

NAP and GNT Coordinator, and Assistant Supply Coordinator

I've been playing duplicate bridge regularly for the last 6 years, having just recently received the Bronze Life Master designation.

I was a co-founder of Dyad Construction Co. in 1977; a company I sold my ownership interest to my partner 4 years ago. I now manage commercial real estate in the Houston area. I graduated with a business degree from the University of Houston. Later I served on the Board of Directors for the College of Business Alum Assn.

I am very happily married to Jennifer, who was a public school principal. We share 4 adult children. We live near Memorial Park where we enjoy jogging and walking. I seem to come from a family of bridge players, having learned the game from my mother. My brother and first cousin are life masters, currently playing in the Houston area.

Ann Bullard

anniebmisc@gmail.com

E-mail Advertising Director

Owen and Pat Bunn

owenbunn@comcast.net or pathbunn@comcast.net

281-357-0591

Election Officials

Sandra Clark

sandra.clark1718@sbcglobal.net

Communications Committee Chair

I am a retired biochemist, a musician, a nutty cat lover and an avid bridge player. I had been playing bridge in Houston for many years before I stopped in 1993. I'm especially grateful to Arlene Weingarten for getting me back up to speed over the last few years. I feel the communication committee is the least I can do to thank the unit for the opportunities for friendship and a wonderful pastime it has given me.

Norm Gautier

ngautier@comcast.net

Financial Verifier

Buddy Hanby

buddyhanby@comcast.net

Attorney

Buddy has over 5,000 master points. He has won one North American Championship, finished in the top ten in several other North American Championships, and won dozens of Regional events.

When not playing bridge, Buddy is an attorney who handles civil appeals and criminal appeals.

He is the author of Hanby’s Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Annotated, a book published annually by West Publishing Co.

He has frequently been recognized as a Super Lawyer by the Texas Monthly.

He has been married to fellow bridge player, Sally Wheeler for thirty-three wonderful years.

Mary Jane Kinnebrew

mjhugh@comcast.net

Scorecard Reporter

Mary Jane lives and plays bridge in the middle of Houston. She is married to her college sweetheart, Hugh, and has 2 married children and 4 grandchildren. MJ has degrees from Rice, Lamar, and Houston; and she taught composition and literature at San Jacinto College for 25 years.

Currently, as the Houston Chapter's Volunteer Red Cross Disaster Training Coordinator, she does quite a bit of computer work and also some training for Disaster Services.

She and Hugh enjoy Rice sports, and MJ also loves to travel. Her family joins her each year in June to see the College World Series in Omaha and in August to tube the Comal and play lots of cards at New Braunfels.

Barbara La Vigne

b_lavigne@hotmail.com

Recorder

Mike Lee

lawmwl@gmail.com

Ethics Committee Chair

Lew Levy

lew@patandlew.com

District 16 Executive Treasurer

Lew has been President of the Board in three different ACBL units: Bellingham, Washington; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Houston, Texas.  He is currently Executive Treasurer of District 16, a position he has held since 2007.  He was chair of the Fundraising Committee for the 2009 NABC in Houston.

Lew is a retired oil company executive, with more than 30 years experience in refining and transportation.

Chuck Michalski

camichalski@sbcglobal.net

E-mail Newsletter Editor

Paul Nimmons

paulnimmons@sbcglobal.net

Parliamentarian

Bert Onstott

BertOnstott@comcast.net

713-851-1511

Webmaster, Graphic Artist, Directory Coordinator, Membership, D16 Webmaster and Unit Representative

Bert retired from Shell in 2007 after 26 years as a Chemical Engineer, where he was one of Shell's leaders in applying process optimization systems to help run refinery process units more profitably. Bert earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from UC Davis in 1980. Prior to that he spent ten years in the U. S. Navy as a computer technician.

Bert took up duplicate in 1995 after taking the Club series from Tom Jahnke. Brigitte Sandifer was his first Mentor! He is now a Silver Life Master with just over 2,000 points.

He was elected to the Unit Board of Directors in 2003 and served two terms as Vice President and two terms as President during the subsequent six years. He chaired or co-chaired five regionals and several sectionals during that time, and served as NAP, GNT, and STaC coordinator, as well as Secretary, Photographer, and Directory Coordinator.

Since retiring from Shell he's enjoyed acquiring the skills to build and maintain web sites, and currently serves as Unit and District Webmaster. He also built and maintains the web site for the Houston Bridge Studio and the partnership sites for Houston and Austin.

He's the Unit 174 representative to the District 16 Board and is currently 2nd Vice President of District 16.

Bert is married to his wonderful wife Katherine and enjoys reading, bridge, fishing, and woodworking.

Joyce Ryan

Jryan9620@sbcglobal.net

713-977-3360

Educational and Books Sales Chair

Eric Snow

EricLSnow@excite.com

Houston Convention Center Representative

Eric has been a member of the Houston Unit since 1975, has served on the Unit and District Boards of Directors and has chaired many tournaments, including 2 NABCs.  He was appointed to represent Unit 174 with the convention bureau in 2001 to help promote the 2002 and 2009 NABCs.

Eric worked for Shell Oil for 26 years before taking early retirement in 2000.  After a short retirement period, he decided to start a second career as a financial advisor.

Donna Sparks

dmdlsparks@gmail.com

Unit Photographer

Sandy Stevens

dabbler885@aol.com

Caddy Chair

Arlene Weingarten

arleneweingarten@sbcglobal.net

Webmaster Emeritus and Web Site Advisor

Jim Woodward

Woodward.james.a@gmail.com

Treasurer and Budget Coordinator

Jim is married to Joyce and has one son, Chris who will attend the University of California (Berkeley) starting in September 2010.  He has been Unit Treasurer since 2004. He has about 600 master points and doesn’t get to play nearly as much as he would like.

Jim has a Rice degree. He worked for Shell Oil for 30 years in finance and information technology, including jobs reporting to both Norm Gautier and Paul Cuneo. 

After leaving Shell he attended law school, passing the Bar in 2004. He opened a solo criminal defense practice, but took an opportunity to enter the business world.  He is currently employed by Bluewater Industries, a firm specializing in project management and general contracting for offshore oil and gas construction.  He is Vice President – Commercial, responsible for accounting, finance, contracts and insurance, and still does a little criminal defense on the side. 

Jim and his family are members of Bellaire United Methodist Church.